Court: Property Tax Unfair Way To Fund Schools

Using local property taxes to finance public education is unconstitutional and “deprives children of an equal educational opportunity,” the Vermont Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday.

In its 5-0 decision, the court said the state Legislature needs to come up with a more equitable way to pay for schools.

The American Civil Liberties Union had sued the state on behalf of 13 schoolchildren, taxpayers and school districts.

The lawsuit claimed that the wide disparity in cities’ and towns’ abilities to collect property taxes violated the state Constitution’s guarantee to educate every student in the state.

Of the 19 schools that have not met state education standards, 18 are in poor communities, the ACLU said. Property taxes account for two-thirds of Vermont’s school funding. The state and federal governments pick up the rest.